Read Think Act: Live 2023

Please check ticket info for this event below, incl. information about access.

What happens to our rage, our ideas and solidarity when we leave the pages of the book? What does the connection between activism and writing look like to you? Unpack all these questions and more in the company of authors and editors who are also activists and social justice organisers.

Yara Rodriques Fowler is the author of the novel there are more things, a story of solidarity, chosen families and legacies of activism flowing between England and Brazil. Yasmin El-Rifae’s book Radius tells the story of the women and men who formed Opantish—Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment - in the middle of the Arab Spring. Alongside Phil Wrigglesworth, editor of the magazine Left Cultures, they dive into a discussion about words, ideas and changemaking.

The panel will be chaired by Jessica Gaitan Johannesson.

Our Speakers

Yara Rodrigues Fowler is a writer from South London. Her first novel, Stubborn Archivist, was published in 2019. Yara’s second novel, there are more things, was nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2022 and Goldsmiths Prize 2022.. Most recently, Yara was named one of Granta's best young British writers, in their once-in-a-decade list. She is currently co-writing a play called The Conference of the Trees with Majid Adin and Connie Treves, based on the poems by members of the Change The Word poetry collective at Good Chance Theatre. Yara is also a part-time climate justice organiser.

Yasmin El-Rifae is a writer, editor and producer of The Palestine Festival of Literature. Her first book, Radius, was published by Verso in 2022. Her work has recently appeared in The New York Times, Lux magazine, Mada Masr and other outlets.

Phil Wrigglesworth is an Illustrator, Educator, Art Director and Independent Magazine Publisher. He illustrated The ABCs of Socialism with Jacobin and Verso in 2016 and he also illustrates for many Leftwing publications, such as The Tribune, Jacobin, Red Pepper, STIR to Action. He has recently finished illustrating a new book titled The ABCs of the New Economy, due to be published across the UK. He has taught  Illustration at The University of West England in Bristol since 2009 and has contributed to many illustration degree programs across the UK and beyond. He co-founded Left Cultures with close comrade Colum Leith in 2021 and they are currently working on the 3rd edition of the publication. The aim of Left Cultures is to celebrate all forms of culture creation on the left through personal storytelling and to champion expressive illustration.

This panel will be chaired by Jessica Gaitan Johannesson

*Please note that masks will be required at this event (as with all Lighthouse events).

*Accessibility: All events will be professionally filmed & livestreamed. The Roxy is wheelchair accessible (including toilets) and we'll have provisions for neurodivergent guests including stims, quiet space and colour-coded lanyards.

*Events are £5 or free -we completely understand paying for one or two events and then getting free spots for others. The Radical Book Fair is entirely bookshop run and ticket sales are vital to keeping the fair sustainable and paying all our speakers so all support is heartily welcome!

*Featured books: The book & ticket option will select the most recently published book at any given event, if you’re not sure which book you want or don’t want that featured book, then buy a £5 voucher ticket that can be used for any of the books below.

*If you'd like to help make the book fair accessible to more folks, please consider adding to our pay-it-forward fund HERE.